


Angel's Destiny

by kasey1939



Series: Destiny [1]
Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: AU, Connor has a sister, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-04-05 01:43:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4160883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasey1939/pseuds/kasey1939
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Connor wasn't Angel's only child what if he and Darla had a daughter to. This is the story of Angel's daughter Destiny and her new life in her fathers world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

> [](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Done%20Story%20Banners/Angels%20Destiny.jpg.html)
> 
>   
>    
> 

**Disclaimer : I own nothing, so ask me for nothing, and I will give you everything. For free no less.**

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/angels%20destiny/Chapter%201.jpg.html)

  
  


Angel was not brooding, no matter what Cordelia said, but a certain amount of silent contemplation was in order when your children were stolen from you by your enemy and taken to a hell dimension.

Connor, his son, would grow up in a world of death, destruction, and pain. Never really knowing his father, never being taught all the things he had planned to teach him as he grew older.

Destiny, his little girl, he would never see her first steps never know if her hair stayed blonde like her mothers or if it would eventually darken to be like his.

Even now while fighting some inter-dimensional slugs all he could think about were his children. Which he knew was dangerous, especially with the Destroyer on the way, but he couldn’t seem to stop. As the creature fell from the portal he braced himself for the attack, then a second blinding light filled the room and the beast was being killed by… a boy?

Tarzan?

When the thing finally lay dead at his feet the boy turned to him and spoke two words he never thought he’d hear.

“Hi, Dad.”

After that everything happened both too fast and in slow motion. Connor, his son, shot him and his friends attacked. He yelled for them to wait, trying to will the train wreck before him to stop, without success. Connor was too fast and the more he fought the more his friends tried to defend themselves. Through all of this his main thought, he was ashamed to say, wasn’t for the safety of his friends, his family, it was if Connor was here, where was Destiny?

Anna watched Steven fight unnoticed from the balcony and tried to piece together what she’d been told of her father and his world with what she was seeing. Their father was meant to be a killer with no feelings or remorse, but he continually saved Steven, forgoing several easy kills to keep him from any great harm.

Although she supposed that could be just a tactic to prolong the kill, a way to make Steven suffer greater in the long run, but she doubted that even as the thought occurred to her.

When he spoke to Steven who he called Connor, she wondered what her other name was, he sounded sad, hopeful, and even concerned which just didn’t fit with the stories she’d grown up with. When Steven was finally pinned by Angelus she tensed ready to jump in, to defend her brother, but she didn’t have to, he let him go uninjured. When Steven retreated Angelus even moved to follow him into the deadly light of day. None of this was right, deciding she needed answers she sank further into the shadows and listened.

“Are you sure that was Connor?”

“Yes, I’m sure, and now he’s out there in an unfamiliar place all alone. Scared, probably confused, I have to find him.”

“Are you sure?”

“What? Damn it Fred of course I have to find him!”

“No, of course you have to help him, I meant are you sure he’s alone. When he was taken his sister was with him. If Connor’s back… where is Destiny?” Destiny hmmm, she liked it, a lot better than Anna any way. Maybe she’d keep it, new world new name.

“I… I don’t know. What I do know is that Connor is here. When we find him we’ll ask him where his sister is and try to bring her home to. This is the plan Fred you and…”

She didn’t need to hear any more now she was more confused than ever. Angelus was genuinely concerned for her and Steven like a parent for a lost child. Those with him were more hostile towards them than the famed monster. She needed to find her brother, they needed to regroup and try to figure out what was true and what were just Holtz enraged ramblings.

After hours of wandering, following the very obvious trail left by her dear brother, she came to a very startling conclusion. This new world was bright, loud, unfriendly, and just all around nothing that she was used to. People yelled over every little thing, and she witnessed more than a few fights breaking out over petty squabbles. All in all, she decided she might just like it here. In this place where she didn’t stick out, she was just one among many and she liked it just that way. Maybe things could be different here.

She found her brother just after night fall in an abandoned building on the other side of town with a dead girl. Not exactly how she thought she’d find him but bright side at least she’d found him.

“What the hell happened Steven?”

“Medicine killed her, she was nice to me.” Short to the point sentences were never a good sign when it came to Steven. It meant he’d already decided on what to do, usually something stupid or reckless, and he was too focused on doing that than answering questions.

She watched her brother grab an object from the other room and start to sniff it. He was trying to track someone, but who? Everything was so confusing here, she didn’t know anything, she hated all the new unfamiliar things almost as much as she loved them. Before she could even try to figure things out the door behind her flew open and into the room strode a man with one ear with two men behind him all holding weapons.

Wonderful, like her day hadn’t been bad enough.

“Hello.”

Well at least he wasn’t just going to fight; he apparently wanted to talk first, which would make it easier to kill him. She half listened to his rambling about his ear, which her brother had cut off after their first fight as a trophy of his victory, as she moved herself into a position to strike.

The man behind him and to his left was the largest she’d have to incapacitate him first. Just as the man’s rant began to come to a close and she tensed to deliver her first blow, all three men stiffened before falling over. Looking up from their prone bodies she found their father, and she couldn’t help the slight tug of respect she felt for his fighting skills, but he was just standing there in the center of the room staring at them both with an expression of… joy.

“Destiny? Connor?”

He could not believe it Destiny was here. She and Connor were together... with a dead girl. One thing at a time.

"Destiny, Connor I -"

He wasn't able to finish because when he moved forward they both stepped back. Conscious of it now he looked into their faces and saw what he'd missed before in his rush of joy. They were afraid of him. At first the thought of his children being afraid of him both confused and hurt him, then he remembered exactly who took them away from him and he understood.

Who knew what Holtz had been telling them all this time? They probably saw him as a monster. Nothing he could do about that at the moment though, trust and understanding would take time. Now he would ask after what he could do something about.

"Who's the dead girl?"

"Steven's friend he said the medicine killed her."

Steven? Of course Holtz would change their names, he wouldn't want any tie to him and Darla to exist for them. He wondered what Destiny's new name was.

"Did she give you any of her ... medicine?"

What if she had? The last thing they needed was a drug problem on top of everything else. Would they even let him help them? He was so confused he didn't know what to do. His babies weren't babies anymore but they were still unworldly and easily lead astray. How do you help someone you love who was raised to hate you?

"No. We will go now, we need to find somewhere safe to sleep. Do not follow us."

Well now he knew where his son stood on the issue he supposed. But he saw that Destiny was torn.

"Steven wait, we can talk to him, for a moment before we go." Her voice was soft barely above a whisper almost like even she couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.

"Why would you want to do that?" Harsh but understandable he supposed.

"Well, I don't know about you but I don't know much about this world other than it's bright, loud, full of angry people, and seems to revolve around something called money. This is his world he could help us understand."

Yes, yes he could definitely do that.

"You would trust him to do this? To be truthful with us and not manipulate us for his own ends? He is a monster Anna you know this."

Or maybe he couldn't do that. While Destiny ... Anna.... While his daughter seemed to be willing to give him a chance to prove himself it would seem his son was having none of that. Now to see whose will would win out.

"I don't know what he will do, that is why I suggest we give him a chance and find out."

"You are wrong we both know exactly what he will do."

"No, you know what he will do because Holtz told you it was so and if Holtz said it, it must be true. God, will you please just think for yourself for once in your life." It would seem there was no love lost between his daughter and Holtz. While it pleased him, on another level he dreaded to find the reason why. It was clear from Connor's behavior that Holtz had been more than able to engender loyalty especially given the years he obviously had to do it in. So why didn't he do the same with Destiny? More importantly what did he do instead?

"You can stay with him if you like, I should have known you would, I am going. He's more your father than mine anyway isn't he."

What the hell did that mean? He watched as Destiny's face fell at that statement all the emotion draining from her face and a mask of indifference he recognized as the armor it was fell into place. This was obviously an old argument.

"I will see you soon brother."

Something in her tone made the simple statement seem almost like a threat. Connor obviously having read it the same way slowly backed out of the window behind him never taking his eyes off of his sister.

"So where do you want to have this conversation and where ever you pick can there be food there. I am starving, dimension hopping really takes it out of you."

Alright then, where to start?

Cordelia had just gotten off the phone with Angel and she still didn't know what to think about this entire situation. He had found Connor, then lost him, then found him again with Destiny only now the only one coming back with him was Destiny and ... she needed to order take out.

What would someone from another dimension want to eat? Something weird? Or maybe something along the lines of comfort food. But would their comfort food actually bring any comfort to someone not used to their food? One way to know for sure ask an expert.

"Fred! I have a question!"

They were going to have a guest and they needed to prepare. Only question left where to start?


	2. Truth of Me and You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel and Destiny have a little talk about how things work in this new world of hers.

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/angels%20destiny/Chapter%202.jpg.html)

  
  


"Tacos?" According to Angelus this woman had also been sentenced to years in a hellish dimension that was not her home world, so at his suggestion the two of them had begun to talk about the important things of this dimension that may be different from the one she came from.

"Yes! Tacos are the most important thing in this universe. Okay, maybe not the most important but they definitely rank right up there with oxygen, clothes, money, and partical physics. Except with tacos they also taste yummy. Would you like to try one?" At the end of her little ramble the tiny little woman held out a silver lump towards her as though it were the most valued of her possessions, not wanting to offend the woman who was fast becoming a friend she took it.

Looking into the womans expectant face she voiced her question meekly, trying not to appear ungrateful of the offering.

"This is food?" The question made the girls already expressive eyes light up with wonder.

"Oh, yes, it's the best food there is." Looking down at it once more she shrugged, she had asked for food and if this was truly the best this world had to offer her for sustenance than she would make do and eventually adapt as she always had before.

Bringing the unappetizing looking mass towards her mouth she was about to bite down when a hand shot out and stopped her.

"Oh, no honey, you see what Fred here has apparently forgotten to mention is that it's in a wrapper. You have to peal the silver part off first and then you can eat it. Trust me it tastes much better without the paper coating." Cordelia had also become something of a friend, though she was still leery of them all she was determined to give them a chance, for now at least.

"Sorry! I am so sorry! I just assumed, since I had grown up here ... or rather in this dimension since I grew up in Texas and not California, so when I came back from Pylea even though it was all a bit different I still remembered most of the basics like wrappers and things, I shoulda remembered to tell you about that part since you know you ain't been here since you were a ba-by." For some reason the last part of her little ramble caused her to look away in guilt and self-recrimination. She also noticed that Cordelia shot her a look of concern, almost as though they both thought that the mention to her old life, the one she should have lived, would put her in a foul mood.

She was just about to correct them as she continued to unfold her "food", she was still not certain about his so called "taco", when her father finally returned with the rest of his clan.

"Destiny... or would you prefer Anna?"

"Destiny's fine." No need to confuse everyone, she'd already decided to keep Destiny as her new name, so they may as well use it now.

"Well, Destiny, these are my friends. You've already met Fred and Cordelia, and these are the ones you haven't met yet. Charles Gunn and Lorne Greene." She nodded to both as she took her first bite of the "taco" and froze when the flavors invaded her senses. The meat was of a strange texture and far more tender than she was used too, the spices and other bits and pieces mixed with it were in turn cold or warm and seemed to not be able to choose a flavor to be, each section having a unique taste all its own and the skin which encased it all was crunchy as though it were bone only it tasted even stranger than the rest and gave way far too easily to truly be a part of a carcass.

"Didn't I tell you tacos were the best?" Not wanting to hurt the womans feeling by spitting out the meal she had been given she forced herself to swallow and answer as honestly as she could.

"They are certainly different."

Angel watched his daughter take her first bite of food and had to fight not to laugh, it was obvious that the different spices and flavors of mexican food had taken her by surprise. He personally would have chosen something slightly more, bland, as a first meal before slowly working in the different spices but he wasn't going to complain if she wasn't. When Fred seemed satisfied with the vague answer she got in response to her statement about the god like quality of her favorite food he moved on to why they were here.

"Destiny, you said before that you had questions about our world."

"Yes," pushing the taco away for now and hoping no one would notice and force her to eat more of it she decided to start at the beginning, "but before we get to the questions about this world in general I have a few about you personally if that is alright with you."

"Of course, you can ask me anything."

"Why didn't you kill Steven when you had the chance? I was here when the two of you fought and you had a clear path to his jugular, why didn't you take it? Everything I know about you says that you are a cold blooded monster who kills anyone and everyone indiscriminately, why did you spare him?"

Angel saw his friends stiffen in surprise at her blunt question, but he had expected it. They had been raised by his enemy after all, and from what Connor had said about him he doubted there had ever been any mention of his good deeds over the past century or so, she had every right to be curious. She had grown up on stories of the great and horrible Angelus only to one day meet Angel, confusion was to be expected.

"Well, that is a fairly long story, but I'll do my best to answer you as honestly and completely as I can. I guess I should start by telling you that my name is not Angelus, at least not anymore, these days I go by Angel. About a hundred years ago in 1898, in the days when I was still the monster I'm sure you've heard about, I attacked and killed a Gypsy girl the favored daughter of her clan. When her people learned about what I had done to her, and what I had done to so many before her, they cursed me. They restored by soul, gave me back my conscience and my guilt, all the emotions I had lost as a demon were forced back into me. I no longer kill humans, and it takes a good reason for me to even kill demons, I am for lack of a better word reformed."

Angel simply stood there in silence waiting for his daughter to either believe him or reject him. He barely heard his friends all chiming in with their own assurances that he was now a force for good, some with stories and others with only earnest honesty and the weight of their word behind the statement. He watched her absorb everything she was being told and waited for her to make the next move, no matter what she decided to do he would not rush her, not now, not ever. She would come to accept him on her own terms, and hopefully so would Connor.

Destiny didn't know if she really believed everything these people told her, Angelus as a force for good and protector of innocents was a little hard to wrap her mind around after all, but she decided to give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being. She wouldn't let her guard down around them just yet, but she would trust that they were being truthful with her, and precede as though everything they told her so far was fact. Angelus - Angel had admitted to his past of violence and death without hesitation so maybe what he said about his life now was true as well.

"Okay, I believe you, for now. That's enough on the past for the moment, time to move on to the present. Main concern first then we can move on to other questions. What is money and how do I get some?"

Everyone around her began to chuckle and she recognized it for the relief that it was. They hadn't thought she would take their word for her fathers character and were relieved that she had. She supposed though, that a man so surrounded by so many good hearted people had to at least have some good in him somewhere.

Steven made his way towards the waterfront where his father had told him to go on the second night after arriving in the hellish place. He hated it here, everything was confusing and far too loud and he wasn't allowed to kill the things that annoyed him. If Anna had stayed by his side he knew he would have been in a better mood about things, but as his father had always warned him, Anna's bad blood had won out. She had chosen to side with Angelus.

He just didn't understand it, no matter how bad things had gotten with her problems in the past he had always been certain that she would have his back when he needed her, now not even a full day after meeting that monster and that foundation was rocked and he was truly alone for the first time in his life.

No! He would not allow it! He would find a way to help his sister fight the darkness in her soul, that part of her that so connected with Angelus, and they would be together again. He loved his family too much to see it so fractured, he would not allow Angelus to win, he would see them all made whole again. Hearing the popping sound of a portal opening behind him he rose and moved to greet his father and to tell him the sad news about his dear sister Anna.

Destiny moved through the streets of downtown Los Angeles and thought on everything she had learned from Angel and his friends. At the end of their little talk they had offered her room at the Hyperion where they stayed but she had declined, not feeling safe sleeping around them just yet. When it became clear that she would not be staying Angel had given her two hundred dollars and told her to be careful, that their doors were always open to her if she needed them for anything. Right now all she needed though was food, she was starving. She had managed to choke down two of those tacos but that had only fed her hunger a little, now that she had the time she could feed the rest on her own. Looking up at the sign over the club Trapt, not really a name she would have gone for but the name wasn't really what mattered she guessed.

Getting in was the easy part, it was finding what she needed that really put her on edge, she had never done this here before, she only hoped that everything worked the same in this dimension. Slowly circling the room just beyond the dance floor she watched all the people swaying and grinding to the beat of the music and tried to decide who to choose, male or female? Did it really matter? Much like the name of the club the gender of the person she chose was really more of an insignificant detail than a truly deciding factor. Spotting a girl standing alone in the corner, looking very much lost and out of place, she knew she had her volunteer.

Striking up a conversation with her was easy, the girl was beyond happy to have someone, hell anyone, to talk to. Apparently coming to this club had been a friends idea, and she had only tagged along to be supportive of her friends "alternative life choice". It was even easier getting the girl to agree to move even deeper into the shadows away from prying eyes, she simply had to suggest that they move back to find somewhere that they didn't have to shout to be heard over the steady thump of the music. Now it was time for the true test of her abilities, if everything worked the same here as it did in the other world then everything would go smoothly and no one would be hurt at all. Looking deeply into the other girls eyes she felt her own begin to dilate as she captured the girl attention fully.

"You're going to be alright, you aren't going to make a sound, this won't hurt you at all." She waited a moment for the girl to parrot the suggestions back to her signaling that it had worked.

"I'm going to be alright, I won't make a sound, this won't hurt at all." Good.

Fully in control she felt her face begin to change as her fangs became more prominent and she leaned in towards the girls neck, finally going to be free of this hunger. Food could only do so much, what she really needed was blood.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind her made her whirl around, her "game face" fully on display and the girls blood dripping down her chin.

"Wow, scary. Has anyone every told you how beautiful you are when you feed?" The man said before his own face morphed and his yellow eyes sparkled at her with amusement, "Feel like sharing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - I always thought that Connor didn't have nearly enough vampire in him for having been born of two of them so Destiny's going to have more than her fair share of it. I debated about what kind of vampire to model her after, I didn't think she would be just like Angel and Darla since she's basically the only one of her kind. I was torn between True Blood vampires or the Vampire Diaries kind, I decided to go with TVD cause their vampire faces are far more animated than just dropping a set of fangs like the TB vamps.


	3. Meeting You, Meeting Me

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/angels%20destiny/Chapter%203_1.jpg.html)

  
  


"Who are you?"

Destiny kept her place between this stranger, vampire, and her 'meal' for the night. She knew all about vampires of this world, and knew he would not leave the girl alive if he did begin to feed on her, and she didn't want that. No matter what else she was, the girl seemed very nice, and she didn't want her death on her conscience.

He was rather good looking, with his short brown hair and sexy confident smirk. He dressed differently from the others around them, her increased hearing picked up the word 'retro' in reference to him many times from the different conversations about him between the couples surrounding them.

She hadn't been around long enough to place people just by their voice but his was different enough from the others that she knew he wasn't from here. His eyes were the lightest and warmest brown she had ever seen, and they seemed to be filled with the light of his own amusement.

"Not sharing then? Well, I guess the real question would be who are you? Cause I have to tell you darling I've been wandering around this world for a number of years now and I can honestly say I have never met anyone like you before."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She found herself relaxing slightly when he stayed in his same spot, not moving even an inch towards her.

"Could be, did you want it to be?"

"Who says I wanted anything?" The only thing she really wanted was to be free of this place, she didn’t want to linger in this club surrounded by humans for any longer than she needed to. Not after her feed had been interrupted when she’d only barely begun.

"Well not to brag or anything but it's been said that I am kind of irresistible to the average female."

"Then I guess it's a good thing we've already established that I'm not average isn't it."

Seeing an opportunity to get the girl to safety she took it, even if it would mean talking to this person for a while. Turning back to the girl she captured her gaze once more.

"Everything's fine, you stepped outside for some air and passed out when you came to your neck was bleeding so you decided to catch a cab to the nearest hospital, you'll text your friend once you get there so she doesn't worry. You won't remember meeting me or anything that happened after."

"I won't remember you."

She watched the girl stagger away for a moment before she was lost in the crowd her mind racing the whole time, what was she going to do now. Turning back to the man she went through all of her options, she could fight, she could run, or she could temporarily surrender.

"Who I am is none of your concern so I suggest you go your way and I'll go mine, then we can both enjoy the rest of our nights." It was at least worth a shot, she didn't think he would go for it he seemed far too intrigued by her to just walk away now, but a girl could try.

"I don't think so sweetheart, you see it's been quite some time since anyone caught my interest quite like you have, hell what am I saying, no one's ever caught my interest like you before. So here's my counter offer, how about you and I go find us a table in a dark corner somewhere and talk hmmm. It doesn't even have to be here, if you prefer it there's a coffee shop open twenty four seven just down the block, better lighting, not to mention less people. So what do you say?"

What else could she say? She could kill him, easily, but she was trying not to make waves here, at least not until she understood how everything worked. There really only was one option left to her.

"Lead the way."

"That a girl. What's your name then? I don't usually ask, but you're something of a special circumstance all your own aren't you." Arrogant much?

"Destiny, my name is Destiny."

"Nice to meet you Destiny, my name is Lawson, and I can tell you and I are going to be such good friends already."

"Yeah, I just bet."

Destiny took another sip of the black bitter liquid called "coffee", and tried not to grimace. Between the tacos and the coffee she was surprised anyone ate anything here. Deciding she had had enough she slid the cup towards the center of the table and waited for the questions she knew would come.

"So I gotta ask, what exactly are you?" Of course that would be the first question, she should have expected as much.

"I am none of your concern. Next question." Come on, move on, she did not think a discussion about her two vampire parents would go over well when in the company of a vampire. Especially one so young. She hadn't noticed in the bar surrounded by so many others but he couldn't be more than fifty or sixty years dead. Baby vamps were not on her list of confidants.

"No seriously." Of course seriously, why would he assume she thought he was joking? Then it struck her, he was using slang. Well two could play that game. She might not have been in this world long but she had picked up quite the vocabulary so far in her efforts to better fit in with her surroundings.

"Seriously, I'm not answering that question so you might as well move on."

"Why not?" He looked so earnest and curious she almost relented, almost.

"Let me put it to you like this. I agreed to come here and let you ask me questions I never said my life would be an open book you could flip through at will. I'm not telling so just move on or we're done here and I walk out." She raised an eyebrow daring him to make the wrong decision, she'd seen Cordelia do it to Angel and was fairly certain from his reaction that her imitation was spot on.

"Touchy, touchy, alright then moving on. If you won't tell me what you are could you maybe tell me what you're doing?" What kind of a question was that? One that deserved a special kind of an answer she supposed.

"I don't understand? We're sitting here while I drink a rather vile beverage and having a stilted conversation. Careful or I might start to think you aren't paying attention." She knew she was being a little bitchy, making him spell everything out, but he started it so she felt justified.

"No I mean why are you in L.A., granted I haven't been here for very long only a few years really, but even I know you're not a local so why are you here?" Oh if he only knew just how much of a "local" she was.

"I was born here in L.A. I've been gone for a while but I'm back now." There that should be vague enough for him to draw his own conclusions. "Now if we're done here I have to find somewhere to sleep soon."

As she pushed up from the table she felt his hand encircle her wrist holding her in place. Normally she would have simply ripped his hand off for presuming to touch her, but she had been doing so well since this whole conversation began she didn’t want to end it on such a violent note. At least not without a real reason.

"You know I have a place that can offer shelter from the light, if you don't mind sharing that is."

Her mind came up with a million and one reasons to refuse his offer out of hand and one big reason to accept. She really didn't want to be alone.

"Yeah, sure, alright then. Lead the way."

"You know I'm starting to sense a pattern here. Not that I mind always taking the lead, but when do you start contributing to this relationship?" His smirk of confidence was infectious and she found herself returning it with a grin of her own.

"Oh, it's a relationship is it?" His next words were spoken so low that if she'd been anything other than what she was she wouldn't have heard him at all.

"Could be."

Cordelia knew that Angel was worried about Connor and Destiny, his normal broody-ness was twice as dark, but she also knew there was nothing he could do for them at the moment. Connor didn't trust them at all, and Destiny only trusted them as far as she had to for now.

"Angel, you have to stop moping about this, she'll be back tomorrow, you can see her then."

"I'm not worried about tomorrow Cordy, I'm worried about tonight. Neither of them know a whole hell of a lot about our world and now they're both just wandering around in it after dark with little to no cash and no plan at all. What if something happens to them?" He sounded so much like a worried parent it broke her heart, she had to get him to snap out of this, it wasn't healthy. They would be fine!

"Angel! Would you listen to yourself? They survived years in a hell dimension, I doubt one night in L.A. will do them any permanent damage." She did her best to hide her own anxiety about the matter, knowing it wouldn't help things at all to show her worry.

She was beyond confident that the both of them would be able to survive L.A. after dark, if she was honest she was a little more worried about the other people knocking around out there who might bump into them. They were raised in a hell dimension by their fathers worst enemy after all. Who knew what they could be getting up to.


	4. Home

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/angels%20destiny/Chapter%204.jpg.html)

  
  


Destiny looked around the old abandoned building that was Lawson's daylight shelter and was grudgingly impressed by what he had done with so little to work with. The outside of the building gave no sign that it had been occupied any time in the last decade at least, while inside he had created his own personal haven.

She gazed at all the art and other little odds and ends and realized that this was in fact his home. He'd chosen all of these things with care and an eye towards what he liked and what he wanted to wake up to and fall asleep looking at every day. She imagined all of his choices would be more revealing of the kind of man he was if she knew anything about this world beyond what little she'd managed to gleen so far in the scant hours she'd been a part of it.

"So, Lawson, tell me about yourself." She knew next to nothing about him and after seeing where he lived she found that, that did not sit well with her. She wanted to know more. 

To understand.

"What did you have in mind, sweetheart?" Well, it was good to see that his arrogance never seemed to waver, even when allowing a stranger into his home.

"Well, I know that you've been in L.A. for a few years now, and that you haven't been a vampire for even a century yet. Other than that, all I have is your name and your address." Not all that much to go on for a girl like her.

"What else is there to know? You already know what I am, who I was has nothing to do with it." His expressive face seemed to shut down as he spoke, his emotions hidden behind a wall of stone and ice.

Oh, so he was bitter about being a vampire. Probably turned against his will then, Holtz had told her and Steven that happened often. But, she thought that once they turned they kind of got over it and reveled in what they had become. Lawson sounded almost like he missed being human, like he wanted to go back to being whoever he was before he was gifted with eternity.

"I didn't ask about who you were, I asked about who you are." Who he had been in the past would do her little good in the present. Though she found that she was curious what sort of man he had been, to so despise what he had become. 

"There's a difference?" Oh, there was always a difference, people always changed.

"Most definitely. I'm sure that whoever you were as a human was a good man. You seem like the type, and I would love to hear all about the good old days at some point, but right now the way you used to be really isn't my main concern. You know, while I'm standing here in your home and all. Right now." As she spoke she deliberately leaned to the side to see even more of his home that lay behind him. She was fairly short so she couldn’t look over his shoulder, but that didn’t stop her perusal though.

"Ah, well I doubt you're afraid for your safety, I think if it came down to it you could actually kick my backside in a fight." Like she would be afraid to fight him, not in this reality or any other. She knew she was stronger, faster, and most likely better trained than most any creature found in this world. Like a vampire, and a baby one at that, would have a chance against her. 

"Most definitely." She could tell her confidence knocked him off his stride for a minute, at least she knew something could, it took him a moment to reply.

"Well then, I guess we shouldn't fight. We wouldn’t want to bruise anyone ego, now would we?" As his words filled the empty space between them a new light seemed to enter his eyes, one she had not seem there before.

"I guess not."

As he spoke he'd been steadily moving towards her. Closer and closer. Until they now stood less than an inch apart. Looking up at him now she wanted nothing more than to kiss him, to hold him close and never let go. There was just something about him that seemed to scream safety. It was like she knew deep down that he would never intentionally hurt her, but even knowing that she also knew that she wasn't really ready for this next step he was working towards either.

She knew what sex was, not that she'd ever participated living in a dimension populated with only her brother and Holtz as eligible bed mates, but today had been confusing and so full of changes, physically, emotionally, and even mentally, she didn't really want to endure anymore change. No matter how promising that change seemed.

"Lawson." She was surprised to hear her voice break over his name.

"Yes, Destiny." They were now even closer their lips almost touching as they spoke.

"I've had a long day, full of some very confusing changes."

She hoped he understood and didn't hold it against her or make her spell it out.

"Understood sweetheart, no fighting, or exertion of any kind. Well, if you'll follow me I'll show you where you can bunk down for the night."

Following behind him she couldn't hold back her sigh of frustration. Her life was so screwed up right now, when this whole godforsaken day had started it had all been so simple. Go to a new world, kill the monster Angelus, and then live out the rest of her life the same way it had always been. What the hell was she supposed to do now? Now that everything had changed, and this new world had turned her every thought around.

Cordelia was up fairly early waiting for Destiny to come back. She knew it wasn't likely that she would pop up at the crack of dawn especially since she hadn't even left the hotel until around two in the morning, but she'd rather be early and have to wait than to have to tell Angel that they'd missed her.

She didn't show until around two in the afternoon and thankfully Angel was down in the lobby when she came in, wearing the same thing as the day before. She really needed to take the girl shopping for some new clothes.

"Hello, Destiny good afternoon. Did you find a good place to stay last night?"

"Yeah, I met a guy at a club and he let me _crash_ at his place." The slight emphasis on the word made her think that it was something new that she had only just learned. The girl was picking up the lingo, so to speak fairly quickly. That would really help her out in the long run.

The only sound that could be heard through the entire hotel after that statement was the sound of Angel's coffee cup shattering as it hit the floor where he dropped it.

"What?" His voice sounded so strained, it was a wonder that any sound came out at all.

"Yeah, after I left here I found this club and decided to check it out. Best way to learn about a culture is to people watch after all. When I was there I ran into this guy, we ended up having this really vile drink called coffee. I don't know if any of you have ever tried it but it's really bitter and kind of nasty so I would steer clear if I was you. After the coffee chat I said something about going to find somewhere to stay and he offered to let me come back to his place so I did. It was a really nice place. Very comfortable bed."

"What?"

Cordelia knew she had to do something before Angel became the first vampire to ever have a heart attack. She could see it all in his eyes, every mental image that Destiny's words had brought rushing to the front his very active imagination. It was moments like these that made her want to call her dad and apologize for ever discovering boys, then she remembered exactly why she hadn't seen or spoken to her father since high school and the moment of insanity passed.

"Destiny honey, what exactly did you and this man you met do when you got to his place?" Maybe a little more detail would help set the new papa’s mind at ease. Hopefully.

The look she got set her mind at ease. The only reason a girl Destiny's age gave you a look like that was because she thought you were being especially thick. She thought she'd already answered that question.

"He showed me around, then we slept."

"Together?" She had to get her to spell this out, it was the only way she might be able to revive Angel from his current catatonic state.

"No, I slept in his spare room." With those words Angel finally started blinking again, even if his hand was still frozen in mid-air where his coffee cup used to be. "I mean I thought about having sex with him, but then I just felt so tired I decided to just sleep instead." Wow, even vampire fathers could get that throbbing vein in their forehead, good to know that that's universal.

"So this guy was cool with... everything." She didn't really know what she was asking, she supposed she was just worried that Destiny's mystery man might have pushed the issue a little. This was L.A. after all, and more often than not any act of kindness from a random club guy came with a bit of a price tag. That tag usually included sex, if not right away, then soon after.

"Yeah, sure, I mean he was a vampire so it's not like he had much room to judge or anything."

A loud thump from behind her had Cordelia looking over to see Angel on the ground. The look of shock on his face made the whole thing hilarious. It seems that the shock of the whole situation had his legs giving out on him.

Poor vampire daddy.

"Is he okay?" Looking up at Destiny's face she found only confusion and slight concern, the poor girl had no idea the effect her words were having on her over protective papa.

"He'll be fine he just needs a minute." She hoped. "So tell me about this club you went to."

"Well it's called Trapt and..."


	5. Power Plays and Other Games

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/angels%20destiny/Chapter%205.jpg.html)

  
  


Destiny made her way back to Lawson's loft, she didn't know why she was going back there, she supposed it was because besides the hotel it was the only place she really knew in the city. She'd spent most of the afternoon with Angel and Cordelia going over some of the sights she'd seen so far and some of the area's to avoid if at all possible.

Angel had made sure to tell her more about vampire culture, from the perspective of a vampire, so she wouldn't be caught off guard, it was sweet if a little paranoid. The highlight of her day had been when Cordelia had offered to take her shopping for some new clothes, she couldn't wait for the next day to finally come so they could go. She may have been a girl raised in another dimension but she was still a girl after all.

The loft was dark, but she knew that he was still there. She could feel him.

"Lawson." She made his name more of a statement than a question, it wouldn't do for him to think he could ever sneak up on her after all. He may be nicer than she'd first assumed he would be, but he was still a vampire after all and if her talk with Angel had taught her anything today it was that vampires were all about the power games.

"You came back." He stayed in the shadows, his voice echoing off the walls so it seemed to surround her. He was trying to un-nerve her. He would have to do a lot better than that.

"It seemed easier than finding somewhere else to stay. I can just as easily go if you like." She didn't want to act like she owned the place, and could come and go as she pleased, it was his home after all. He would have the final say in if she stayed or left.

"You can stay here as long as you want. It's nice having someone else around again. Especially someone who isn't trying to rule over me." He sounded almost resigned at the thought that she would try to dominate his life. She felt the sudden urge to reassure him.

"Yeah well, vampire power games aren't really my thing. It's your home I'm just a guest in it. For now." She tacked on the last to make it clear that she could go just as easily leave as she could stay. It wouldn't do her any good for him to start believing he had her at a disadvantage. She had other options and he needed to know that up front.

"What an enlightened way of looking at it. It's almost refreshing." She could feel him moving around the room, even though she still couldn't see him. What was he up to now? Not that she was overly worried, she was beyond certain that if it came down to it she could take him in a fight without even breaking a sweat.

For all that vampires could so easily overpower humans, she could easily over power everyone. She was stronger and faster than any vampire could ever hope of becoming. A baby vamp under a century old was no threat to her at all.

"Almost?" She was beginning to like this game, it was a war of words, no strength only wit and skill.

"Well it's also to be expected that you wouldn't be big on vampire games when as far as I can tell you aren't a vampire. Or are you? I'll admit you do drink blood as we do, but as far as I can tell that is where the comparisons stop between us." That was true enough, from what she'd seen she did have little in common with the vampires of this world. Though being born of two of them she supposed she could still be called a vampire herself. Or maybe she was something else entirely. A new breed of vampire. Which was both exciting and depressing, being a one and only could get lonely fast.

"Does it matter what I am?" Did it matter to him? Was that why he was letting her stay here, was he trying to understand her? To figure her out?

"No, I don't suppose it does." She could feel his breath on the back of her neck he was so close to her now. Without thinking about it her instincts kicked in, a threat was close, she just reacted. Spinning in place she grabbed him at his neck and the base of his skull before she threw him over her body and across the room.

Oops. What now?

"Sorry. So sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I didn't hurt you did I. You were just so close, and I couldn't see you but I knew you were there and I just... reacted. Really though, if you think about it that was all your own fault. I mean you started it, with your trying to be sneaky and everything. Don't do that!"

She could hear him laughing, he started to somewhere in the middle of her little speech. Laughing was good she supposed, it was better than anger after all. But at the same time... hey he was laughing at her. That was so not funny.

"It's not funny!"

"As the one who landed on his ass I have to disagree with you on that, it was a little funny. Besides I wasn't laughing at you darling, I was laughing more at myself. There I was telling you how I hate vampire power plays and then not ten seconds later I go and try one on you, and I fail miserably at it. Then you started your little rant and I just couldn't help it, you're just so cute when you’re miffed."

"Oh, okay then. What now?"

"Well, if you're still alright with staying here after the stunt I just pulled, I would suggest a game of sorts so that we can get to know each other better."

"What sort of game?" She wouldn't mind getting to know Lawson better, but at the same time she had to be careful about what she revealed about herself. If she gave too much away she might just have to kill Lawson, and she didn't want to do that to her first sort of friend here in this new world. That would be a bad example to set.

"So you're still fine with being here with me, even after I was such an ass?" He seemed almost relieved, like he'd been certain she would leave before and was now trying to catch up to the fact that she was staying instead.

"Sure, why wouldn't I be? I mean you failed after all." She saw him wince and wondered if she had maybe thrown him a little too hard, but he didn't seem to be having any trouble walking around so she figured whatever it was his vampire healing would be taking care of it before too long.

"Point to you on that one I guess. Well the game I have in mind is a bit of give and take. Still interested."

"I suppose."

Angel sat in his room and looked at the sketches he's made of his children, both as infants and what they looked like now. He wished more than anything that he'd been able to watch them grow up, to help them understand the world. Now it was too late. No matter what he taught them they would be making their own way in the world, making their own decisions both good and bad. 

They would be making connections, both good and bad.

Connor hated him with a sort of fiery vengeance that is learned over too many years to counter easily. He knew deep down that he would likely never regain his son, not completely. There would always be a part of Connor that would be held back from him no matter what he did. A part that would be waiting for an excuse, any excuse to go in for the kill. For some shred of proof that Angelus still existed. That was if he could even convince him that he wasn't currently Angelus to begin with.

Destiny was more willing to at least give him a chance at proving himself. Something he was beyond thankful for, but at the same time that willingness had estranged her from her brother and made her more vulnerable to the manipulations of others. People like this vampire she was all but living with. No matter how many times or how many ways he'd asked she'd refused to tell him a name to go along with this bloodsucker. He would find out eventually, he just hoped it wasn't too late for her when he did. For all of her experiences in that hell dimension she was still very young, and far too easily fooled in a world that she didn't understand well enough yet. He'd done what he could to explain vampire dynamics to her, to try and prepare her for any mind games this guy might try but he knew sleep would be a long time coming for him.

Cordelia stood outside of Angel's room and she could practically feel his worry through the door. She understood it, she really did, they were all worried about Destiny and Conner, but she knew there was really nothing they could do about it at the moment. To help people, first they had to trust you, to truly believe that you only wanted what was best for them, and at the moment neither of them felt that way. All they could do was wait, worry, and make sure they knew that if it all became too much for them they would be here ready and willing to help if needed.

Lawson was sitting in his living room for lack of a better term and thinking about Destiny. They'd put off their game until later, she'd wanted a shower and a quick hunt first. He could understand that, what he couldn't understand was what he was feeling for this girl. She'd kicked his ass without even really trying and yet he still wanted her here. Still wanted to be around her. If anyone else had done that, his pride would have demanded that they find somewhere else to rest, but not her.   
She was something different, something special, he felt a connection to her that he couldn't explain. Hopefully their little game would help him come to grips with it, whatever it was.

His thoughts were just about to go through another confusing loop about Destiny when he heard a crash from the ally outside. Normally he would just ignore it, but he could smell Destiny nearby and he was worried. He got out to the ally just as the rain began to fall and was stunned by what he saw. There was Destiny and she seemed to be fighting with some boy about her age, but that wasn't what was stunning him into immobility. It was the speed of their attacks that left him unable to move. They were each moving so fast they were just a blur of motion, how was that possible?

Lilah stood in the shadows as the two teenagers faced off against each other. There had been reports that Angel's offspring had returned, but they had been unconfirmed. Until now. Turning she walked swiftly back towards her car, she needed to report this back to her boss. Not only were the rug-rats back but they were no longer children and they seemed to be at odds at the moment. Maybe they could capitalize on that somehow. Divide and conquer. Even if they couldn't get them both, getting their hands on even one vampire born child would be a major win for the firm.


	6. Family Matters

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/angels%20destiny/Chapter%206.jpg.html)

  
  


Destiny stood over her brothers prone body as the rain poured down over both of them. Why would he attack her? Did he honestly think he would win now, when he never had before? Destiny had always been faster, stronger, and more vicious in all their bouts against each other. A change in location wouldn't change that. Why would he think he even stood a chance?

Holtz.

Of course it was obvious now, Holtz must have put him up to it just like he did with every other stupid thing her brother had ever done. Although their surrogate "father" had never pushed the issue before, it seemed like now he truly wanted to pit them against each other.

"Had enough brother?" She knew from experience that the only way this fight ends is when he gives up and limps off to lick his wounds in peace.

"How could you?" His rage lashed out with each word, he was truly over the edge, and she knew just who had helped put him there.

"How could I what? Kick your ass? Well, it was really easy to tell you the truth." She tried to play it off with a joke, but even she could see the genuine fury in his eyes. The rage that Holtz had put there so long ago, that only seemed to grow with each passing year. She knew in her heart that one day her brother would cross that line that he wouldn't stop trying to hurt her, and when that day came she would have two options. Kill him, or let him kill her. What broke her heart was the unbending knowledge that she already knew what she'd choose when that day came.

"How could you turn your back on your family? FOR HIM!" She watched him slowly climb to his feet, the superficial wounds she'd given him already healing.

"I have never turned my back on you, it's always you turning away from me. I was never good enough, never human enough for you. We're in a new world now, we don't have to be the same people we were back in Cortoth, I don't want to be that person anymore, the monster that you try to bring into the light! Angel and his friends are good people, they're helping me understand this new place, they’re helping me survive it. You have Holtz and I have them, why is that such a problem for you?" Did her brother truly wish for her to have no one, to be alone without him?

"He's a monster!"

"According to Holtz, but then again according to Holtz so am I." She saw the change grip him, saw the desire to attack fill his eyes just before he actually moved. It was enough, she was fast enough, that it made all the difference.

She had him pinned against the wall before he could land a single blow, his arm twisted behind his back, his face pressed into the bricks.

"This fight is over, go back to Holtz, I won't let you tell me what to be anymore." Wrenching his arm up higher against his back she heard the sickening snap of bone. It wouldn't stay broken for long, but hopefully it would be enough. She released him, letting him slide down the wall in pain, before she turned to make her way back to the loft, back to Lawson. Before she had time to overthink what she was about to say she paused for a moment and told him the one thing she'd never had the courage to say before.

"You're my brother and I love you, I only wish you felt the same way about me, but know this if you ever attack me again I won't hold back. I am done letting you or anyone else try to control me, try it again and you will fail, hard."

Steven watched his sister walk away from him while he cradled his now broken arm. He'd always known she was strong, but this was the first time he'd really seen it. Seen her, clearly. Even now that she was embracing her darkness she still held back while they fought, was that a sign? A sign that she was at heart a good person, in spite of her inherited darkness? Were they wrong to continue to push her?

If they continued to push her, and she chose her darkness over them out of spite, would that be their fault or her own?

As he slowly made his way back towards his temporary home and his father he tried to understand exactly how everything had changed, and exactly what to do about all those changes. Did he continue on with Holtz plan, or did he go his own way like she had. Was he strong enough to go it alone like his sister could? He just didn't know.

Lawson sat on the edge of his bed and waited. Once things started to become more emotional and less violent between the two of them he'd retreated to give them their privacy. He had stayed just long enough to now know that the boy was Destiny's brother, did that mean he was just like her? He'd seen enough of the fight to know that he definitely wasn't as strong or as fast, so did that mean they weren't the same at all? It was no use sitting here wondering, it wasn't like he could use logic to understand their differences when he'd never come across anything or anyone like either of them before in his entire existence.

As he heard footsteps echoing off his walls he waited for her to make an appearance. He wouldn't demand answers, hell he wouldn't even ask for them, he would wait and let her tell him anything that she felt comfortable saying.

He better than most knew what it was to need to keep secrets, to keep the past hidden. Hell, he didn't even really think she was keeping it a secret. It was more like she just didn't think to mention certain things. Like because it was common knowledge to her, it just didn't occur to her that it might not be so obvious to those around her. He'd gotten that from some of the things she'd said to him, or rather the way she'd said them. Off handed comments, almost like she just assumed that he already had the context needed to make sense of it.

Looking up he found her standing in the door way, soaked to the bone, just waiting.

"Hi honey, you're home." He watched her head tilt slightly in confusion, as she tried to place what he'd said. To understand what he meant by it. Just another clue telling him that there was more to her than he'd originally thought.

"So, you had a little visitor. I'm no stranger to strained family reunions but that was a little over the top even by my standards."

"Yeah, my family is a little over the top by anyones standards." She stepped closer to him and that's when he saw it, finally, the sorrow she hid so well. She hid it better than most, but that little fight had really done a number on her, maybe not physically, but it beat her down none the less.

"You alright darling?"

She staggered towards him, steps halted and short. When she finally reached him she simply leaned in towards him, eyes pleading.

"Just help me forget it, forget my fucked up family, if only for a while."

"I can do that darling." Reaching up his hands closed over her shoulders, before he gently pulled her down towards him. This he could do for her, if he could do nothing else for her, he could do this.

Destiny didn't know what she had expected really, she knew about sex in the abstract, but she'd never participated herself so she was a little lost. Was it going to hurt? Would it be amazing? The truth was that it landed somewhere in the middle. It had been amazing being that close to another person, even if he was a vampire, but it had also stung a little at first. After the initial discomfort though she'd begun to understand what all the fuss was about.

Now as she laid there in his arms listening to the rain fall down around them she felt content. Like all the awfulness of the day had been washed away by this one act. She knew it hadn't, that once she left his arms the world would be there waiting for her, but she wouldn't change this feeling for anything.

"So I know that guy was your brother, do I need to be worried about him coming back?"

It was a good question, a fair question, after all Steven was immune to the deadly light of the sun like she was. He could be a real threat to Lawson, assuming he knew that Lawson even existed. Either way, it looked like it was time to come clean with him, about everything.

"I don't think he'll be coming back here, he lost the fight, he won't try again in the same area." Which was true, every time Steven lost a fight to her he would always find somewhere new to try his luck the next time. Like he thought if he could just find the right place to attack he would win, when they both know that really wasn't how it was going to work.

"Won't want to give you home field advantage again?"

"I don't know what that means but, I suppose. Beyond that there is really just a lot of drama that built up to this fight." Years worth really.

"Tell me about it." Tempting, his offer was just so damn tempting. To unburden herself, to tell this man whom she had no history with, who held no expectations of her, everything. 

"Do you really want to hear me rant about my family?"

"From what I've seen your family is very interesting so, yeah, rant away."

"Well the first thing you need to know about Steven and I is...."

Cordelia grabbed her purse from her desk and did a quick double check that she had everything she needed for the food run she needed to make. Everyone was starving, even Angel so she'd called in their order to their favorite Chinese place and now she just had to run to the butchers before it got there so they could all eat together. Not that Angel really ate with them, he was so stupidly self-conscious about drinking blood in front of them, it was ridiculous it wasn't like just because they didn't see it they forgot that he was a vampire or something. News flash that secret is already out and proud, time to strut! 

Shaking her head at her inner monologue she stepped out of the hotel, only to stop in her tracks at what she saw.

Destiny. Standing out front of the hotel like she was unsure of her welcome or something. As she got closer she saw some healing cuts from a fight peppering her arms, and her fury rose, she still felt so protective over her and Connor. Swallowing it back she knew that if she came on too strong and let her anger fly it would just send her running in the other direction, so a more subtle approach was needed for this.

"Destiny? Did you need something, sweetheart?" The girl didn't even twitch, so she at least had her fathers stoicism, if nothing else. Looking at her in the bright light of mid-day the girl was all Darla, there wasn't much of Angel to be seen in her.

"Not really, I just..."

"Wanted to talk to someone?" She knew that look, that silent pleading for someone to listen. Her looks might be all Darla, but that look was all Angel.

"Yeah." She sounded so relieved to not have to say it all out loud. Like having someone else guess was less shameful or something, well they would just have to deal with that while they were at it.

"Well, if it was me you were looking for you're welcome to walk with me. I was just headed out to get everyone some lunch." Letting the invitation go as a casual, an either or kind of thing, she turned and began to walk down the block leaving it entirely in her hands.

She made it less than half a block before she felt someone step up to walk beside her.

"So was there anything in particular that you wanted to talk about? Something else you don't quite understand maybe?" So far they'd explained money, crime, the police, drugs, and how to find somewhere to live. On her own she'd discovered night clubs, grocery stores (though she employed the five finger discount and they had to discuss theft), and the beach (apparently there wasn't much water on Cortoth so she spent a whole day just staring at the ocean).

"Boys." Oh boy, that was one she wasn't looking forward to trying to explain, they were just too complicated. Way too much subtext involved.

"Anything specific about them or just boys in general?" Maybe if she had a specific problem to work off of they could narrow it down a little bit.

"Why are they so ... strange. Steven, he thinks that I've turned my back on my family by associating with you and the others. So what does he do? He attacks me, like all of sudden he can actually win a fight between us. It would take a lot more than just a change of scenery for that. Then after the fight I will admit I was a little emotional, I mean my brother did just seriously try to kill me, even if I know that he never stood a chance of actually getting it done. So I go to Lawson and we have sex, like really nice make me forget all my problems for at least a little while sex, and it is just mind blowing. Afterwards he asks me about Steven, he'd seen us fight and he was a little concerned about Steven maybe coming back, understandable given his whole inability to deal with sunlight problem, so I tell him a little bit about it. I don't even tell him some of the really bad parts and what does he do? He gets up and just leaves. That was last night and I haven't seen him anywhere since. So, why are boys so strange?"

Wow, okay that was a lot to take in. Destiny was having sex, and the fact that that wasn't the biggest shock of the whole speech was a shock all its own. Connor, eh, Steven tried to kill Destiny. Destiny was stronger than her brother, the brother who nearly took down all of them including Angel when he first popped into their dimension. The toad who slept with Destiny while she was vulnerable and hurting just got up and took off like she was some cheap hooker? That bastard! What were the odds she and Angel could track this jackass down with just a name? Soooo not the point at the moment, she needed to focus and handle this as best as she could.

"Well, when it comes to... Steven, I really don't know what to tell you. That's a bit beyond my experience, but maybe Angel could help you with that, he's a bit more fight-y than I am. Not that I can't handle myself in a fight, but you know he's been at it longer. As for this jackass Lawson, well men are not only weird, they're sometime stupid to. There really is no understanding them sometimes, but we can talk about it a bit more if you want, see if maybe we could figure it out together?"

"Yeah, I would like that. I mean it's not like I could figure this stuff out on my own. Thank you for... I don't know, just thank you."

"No worries, we're family after all."

Destiny followed Cordelia around for about an hour picking things up here and there as they discussed the inner working of the male brain, and both came up empty for an explanation. When Cordelia had figured out that Lawson had been her first time, she'd gotten a little angrier than normal but that hadn't lasted long so she just let it go, it wasn't like rapidly changing emotions was anything new to her.

It wasn't until they pushed open the doors to the hotel, their arms laden down with food that they got any kind of answer. There in the middle of the lobby were Angel and Lawson. They were both dripping blood and sporting their fair share of bruises, they'd obviously been slugging it out for a while now.

"What is going on here?"

Both men stopped in their tracks and looked towards them wearing identical expressions of equal parts guilt and defiance. They were going to be stubborn about this. That was fine, she could be just as stubborn.

Wes laid awake in his cold bed and tried to think of another good excuse for why he was doing what he was with Lilah of all people. He knew it was wrong, he knew he should end it, but at the same time he had no reason to end it. All the reasons he came up with had to do with them, those other people. The ones who used to matter to him so much, until the day they'd all collectively turned their backs on him.

He'd done what he thought was right, what he thought was best for those babies, never intending for any harm to come to them, intending quite the opposite in fact, when he'd been ruthlessly cut down and summarily cast out over the course of a single night. There were no reasons to stop, not anymore, those reasons were all long since gone and they were never coming back.

As Lilah slipped between the sheets and her warmth reached him he couldn't stop himself from reaching back towards her, the one person who was there with him, the one person who hadn't taken the moral high ground, because she knew she hadn't a leg to stand on in that arena so she didn't even try.

"You will never believe who has come to town lover."


	7. We Meet Again

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/angels%20destiny/Chapter%207.jpg.html)

  
  


Lawson found himself walking through the sewers of all places, something he hadn’t done in years. Normally he would have made sure he was back home long before the sun rose, but this time home was the one place he knew he should stay far from. Far from home and far from her. Destiny. The girl who with a few simple words had twisted his life all around.

Angel, Angelus, whatever you wanted to call him was in L.A., he was here. The man who had ruined his life, turning him into neither a man nor a monster. The man who had turned him into nothing.

When he had asked Destiny about her brother, he had never in his wildest dreams thought that he would hear that the boy was here trying to kill the man he had hated for a little over half a century now. 

_“His name is Steven, and he’s just so focused on his mission that he’s been blinded to everything else around him. He has tunnel vision and my refusal to help him no questions asked makes him think that I’m against him or siding with his enemy.”_

_“Who’s this enemy?” Was her brother one of those conspiracy nuts who thought that everyone was after him? Or was his opponent more supernatural in origin?_

_“His name is Angelus, though I hear he goes by Angel now, and now that Steven has found him he’s obsessed…”_

He hadn’t heard much after that shocking revelation, though he did hear the name of the place where he could find him. Where he could finally have the confrontation he’d been longing for, for so many years now.

After his turning, once he was no longer of use to him, Angel had sent him on his way. Actually making him swim for it, racing the dawn to dry land. The fact that he wasn’t the only vampire in danger of having his backside scorched off wasn’t nearly as comforting as one might believe it to be. After that he had spent years trying to understand what it was that he had become, what it was that he’d been turned into. 

He had known he was a vampire from the start, but without someone there to guide him he floundered for years. He did all the things that he’d believed he should, all the things that he’d read about in horror novels and heard about in back alleys. He’d tortured and killed, trying not to feel anything like he heard so many others claim, but once again he fell short of the mark. He felt everything, if anything his feelings had only amplified since his re-awakening. 

So eventually he had fallen back on his navy training and decided that what he needed was direction, a mission. So he’d assigned himself one, to find the man responsible for his situation and gain his answers. It had sounded simple enough, he’d even come up with a plan to help him achieve it, but enacting it was far harder. Finding a centuries old vampire with multiple names that never seemed to stay in one place for more than a year was grueling and truly a lesson in frustration. 

Every time he thought he’d found something or someone to help him one of two things would happen. Either they hadn’t seen Angelus in decades or in some cases centuries or they feared his rep so much that even the thought of selling out his location was enough to have them quaking in fear. After over two decades of false leads and failure he’d finally given up on the idea of finding him and had instead settled down here in Los Angeles to wait out his eternity in a place that never really changed.

Now though his luck had changed, now his mission was completed when he wasn’t even trying. Glancing up at the shaft that would lead him into the basement of the Hyperion Hotel he smiled for the first time in what felt like years. Creeping into the main room he found the man he had been searching for, standing not ten feet from him.

“Hey boss, you got a sec?” Seeing the surprise on his face was the best payout a guy could dream of.  
Hey boss, those words washed over him and sent Angel back to a small submarine on the bottom of the ocean. Those words filled his veins with ice. Those words filled him with shame.

“Lawson, what brings you by?” Mentally he took stock of his people, and was grateful to realize that they were all otherwise occupied at the moment, outside of the building. Lorne and Fred had gone to some rare book dealer who had several volumes from another dimension for sale. Gunn was reconnection with some of his old contacts for the tenth time this month alone. With Cordelia going out to round up all the food before everyone got back he had about twenty minutes to take care of this and make the hotel safe for his people to return to.

“Well, boss, I heard a rumor that you were in town and since I’ve been looking for you for about five decades now, I thought I’d drop by. I think it’s past time you and I had ourselves a little chat, don’t you?”

At the other mans words guilt began to flood his mind. He was ashamed to realize that he hadn’t truly thought about Lawson nor his actions on that submarine in years. He had been so focused on the present and all the new and at times terrifying problems he had to deal with that thoughts of his past sins had begun to abate more and more of late. He would hear him out, he owed him that much, then he would dust him as he should have done years ago.

“I agree, what did you want to chat about?” He took a deep unnecessary breathe and mentally braced himself, preparing to listen to a long litany of grievances and pontifications. Most fledglings, once they came into their own, had long lists of their sires failings on the tips of their tongues. Lawson he was sure, had more than his fair share.

“Let’s start with, what the hell did you do to me?” 

“What are you talking about?” It wasn’t like the boy didn’t know that he was a vampire, he’d been made painfully aware of that at his turning. What the hell was he asking?

“I mean what the hell did you turn me into, cause it sure as hell ain’t a vampire. I did everything I was supposed to, I hunted and killed indiscriminately for years, but it did nothing for me. The blood tasted of ash in my mouth, I felt nothing! I even felt bad a few times, like I wasn’t supposed to be hurting people, like I wasn’t supposed to be here. So you tell me boss, what am I supposed to do now? Hmmm? How am I supposed to feel? TELL ME!”

He watched as true tears began to track down the man’s face, he could see the pain and anger swirling in his still all too human eyes. He was right, he wasn’t a vampire, at least not a normal one. A vampire wouldn’t give a damn about any of this, he would have been enraged at his sire for leaving him to fend for himself but he would have attacked physically not verbally. 

“I’m sorry.” That was it, the only thing he could say, the only thing he could offer. He knew what was wrong with him and it was his fault, he’d done this, by turning a man while he had his soul he’d damned him to live in the same in-between that he did only without an explanation why. 

“You’re sorry? Sorry!” With a final yell the fight was on, and there was only one way it could end now. In a cloud of dust.

As fists began to fly Angel knew that he should end this, just dust him and be done with it, but he couldn’t. A part of him hoped that once he was given a chance to vent his anger Lawson would calm down enough to listen to reason, to let him help him as he should have fifty years ago.

“What the hell is going on here?”

The intrusion of the distinctly feminine voice had him turning towards the door to face Destiny and Cordelia just as Lawsons blow landed on his face sending him skidding across the lobby floor. Not good.

Cordelia stood in the doorway of the hotel warring with herself. Did she get Destiny to safety of stay and help Angel with whoever the hell was pounding on his face? As Destiny stepped farther into the lobby it seemed the decision was made for her.

“Lawson?”

Or not.

So this was Mr. Love ‘em and Leave ‘em. Not bad looking at least, the girl had taste, but that didn’t stop her from hoping that Angel kicked his tight little ass. What he’d done to Destiny deserved a beating if not a dusting! You didn’t just walk out on a girl after taking her virginity and not expect a beat down from her relatives. 

“He’s Lawson? _The_ Lawson?” She needed to make sure before she said anything. At the younger girls slow nod she knew she had the right jackass, but what was he doing here?

“You know Lawson?” Glancing over at Angel she saw so much confusion covering his expression she felt bad for him. There he was kicking a random vamps ass and in walks his daughter with his name tripping off her tongue, he must be so twisted around. Well she could fix that.

“We all know who Lawson is and he’s not bleeding nearly enough, punch him in the face.” She watched as he thought about asking questions but the look on her face must have said enough because he just shrugged and walked intently towards the other man content to do as asked. Good boy.

As pulled his fist back Destiny started to back out towards the door. Not good.

“I don’t even want to know what’s going on here, I’m out.” Without another word the girl was gone, not even sticking around long enough to see Lawson hit the ground. She supposed she’d handle this then, it wasn’t like the girl didn’t have enough to deal with as it is.

Destiny stood outside of another club that she found, this place seemed to be filled with them. This one was flashier than the last one she went to, but that could work in her favor. If everyone was busy watching the lights, then no one would notice when someone went missing. She was just starting to zero in on her mark, a young man drifting farther and farther from the entrance as he tried his luck with everything in a skirt, when an older woman in a business suit stepping into her path. Who the hell?

“Hello Destiny, my name is Lilah I’m an old acquaintance of your fathers. Could we maybe step to the side and talk for a minute?” Looking the woman up and down she knew she could take her if it came to that, so she shrugged trying to hide her curiosity. 

“Sure.” Turning away from the doors she hadn’t made it through she took a deep breath and tried to focus, if this turned into a fight it wouldn’t do her any favors to be distracted by things that weren’t relevant to the situation. As it stood she was trying to figure out which father this woman was talking about Angelus or Holtz.

Holtz stood in the shadows watching the abomination stride into the darkness with who was likely to be her next victim and sighed in frustration. Steven had failed to subdue the demonic spawn, he wasn’t motivated enough to beat her, maybe if he showed him the danger she posed to those around her he would be more inclined to give it his all. Showing the boy the body of one of her victims should help to clear his mind of thoughts of a touching reunion, and if the girl did not kill the woman he was sure another victim could be found or even created for his purposes. 

“Follow them Justine, tell me everything.” 

“Of course.” At least she was still faithful to him, to his cause. Hopefully by nights end Steven would be faithful once more, released from the grip of that hell spawn he called a sister. Hopefully.


	8. Experiencing Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on after the confrontations of the night end...

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/angels%20destiny/Chapter%208.jpg.html)

  
  


Destiny stood in Lawsons home trying to piece together everything Lilah had told her. The woman had made an interesting offer, not one she was inclined to accept without looking into her more, but it had been interesting none the less. After watching the woman stride off into the night, the club had lost its appeal, and even though she was still hungry she found herself coming here instead. She knew Lawson would likely kick her out when he got home, after his confrontation with Angelus, but for the moment it was the only safe place she knew to take shelter in.

She sat on his bed for what seemed like hours just watching the flashing lights as her thoughts wandered. She was beginning to hate this world, it was so confusing and there were too many ways to step wrong. At least in Cortoth there were set rules for every situation. If a Largarath was chasing you, you headed towards the cliffs, if a Parnoff was sleeping you stayed as quiet as possible, if Holtz was in a bad mood you disappeared for a day and a half until the storm had passed. Here there were far too many people to keep track of them all and they each had a history with someone else that she didn’t know about. 

She knew that this Lilah woman wasn’t being truthful with her, and the way she spoke about Angelus let her know that whatever past events she was hiding was probably for a good reason, she just didn’t know what to do anymore, if she ever did. 

“What are you doing here?” She didn’t jump, she’d heard his quiet footfalls approaching, she had simply been waiting for him to decide to talk or not. She didn’t hear any of the anger that she expected to find in his voice, that didn’t mean it wasn’t there of course, just simmering under the surface but she couldn’t hear it. Watching his tense frame from the corner of her eye she knew he was expecting a fight at the very least. Deciding to cut through all the bullshit power plays early on in this conversation, she’d already had enough of those for the night, she turned towards him and told him the truth.

“I didn’t have anywhere else to go.” Her words seemed to take the wind out of his sails, his entire body deflating as the stiffness fled. 

“Have you eaten yet?” Shaking her head, she took the hand he held out to her and followed where he lead.

Steven made his way back towards the warehouse that his family called home, he’d been out later than he knew was expected, but he had needed to think things through a bit on his own. He knew that his father wanted him to put his sister down, but he wasn’t sure that was the right response to her defection. With a little patience he knew he could get her to see reason, to come back to where she belonged. He had always known that one day he might need to kill his sister, her more demonic urges would inevitably get the better of her, but he wasn’t sure that day had come just yet. While she had sided with the monster that made them, as far as he knew she hadn’t yet done anything that couldn’t be undone with time.

Turning the corner, he was so lost in thought that he nearly missed the scene before him. His father was on the ground his neck nearly torn in two, his loyal friend Justine by his side holding his now cold hand. Knowing he was too late, that his father was already gone did nothing to soothe his roiling thoughts as he rushed to his side.

“What happened? Who did this?” Had it been Angelus? Another random creature? This place seemed to be crawling with them. Whoever it was he would track them down and exact retribution for this. 

“ _She_ did this.” Turning to the voice behind him he found a sharply dressed woman he’d never seen before. Who was she? Why was she here?

“Who are you? How do you know what happened?”

“My name is Lilah Morgan, I was an acquaintance of your fathers before he left this dimension. I only recently heard of his return and was coming to see him when I was nearly knocked down by a young woman running past me. Your sister. When I came closer I found this. I am sorry.” He was so lost in his own anger he never saw the look that passed between the two women as he stormed off in search of his sister. He never questioned how this woman could know his sister on sight if she only just learned of their presence here. He never wondered why she was still here seemingly waiting for him. The only thing on his mind was his vengeance and his rage.

He would fight his sister again and this time he would not lose.

Destiny looked around her trying to gain her bearings, this place while dilapidated and run down on the outside was fairly decent within. Something she was beginning to learn was quite common place in this world. When she had taken Lawsons hand she’d assumed they were going to another club or somewhere to hunt, but this place was something else entirely. Allowing him to pull her down onto a small couch she glanced around at all the seemingly eager humans mingling with the vampires. Their faces were euphoric as fangs tore into their flesh. What was this place?

“This is a bite house. It won’t replace the hunt for you, unless you’re really lazy and can’t be bothered to go out looking, but every now and then it’s nice to have your meal deliver its self. After the day we’ve had I thought this would be a nice change of pace.” As he gestured to a young woman for her to lay down between them she began to feel the bloodlust overtake her. Her veins throbbing with need.

She knew her face had shifted already and as she glanced over into the yellow eyes of her companion she fought her smile. She had never had this before. Someone who didn’t judge her for the things she needed for survival. Someone who didn’t judge her for who she was. For what she was.

“Bon appetite baby.” As the hot rush of blood filled her mouth and the sharp cry of ecstasy escaped their “donor” she knew this would be a memory she would hold tight to for years to come. 

Cordelia knew that Angel was worried, hell she was too, but she also knew that life couldn’t stop just for that. When her vision had hit earlier that night she knew he hadn’t wanted to go, had instead wanted to stay here and wait for Destiny to come back, but they had both known that wasn’t an option right now. He was a champion and as much as he wanted to he couldn’t just turn his back on that because there was something else he’d rather be doing now.

Reorganizing the same file for the tenth time she admitted, if only to herself, that she was waiting for more than just his return. While she knew she wouldn’t be able to relax until her people came walking back through that door she could also admit that Destiny was one of her people now and she wanted to see her come back too.

“Cordelia?” Well, ask and ye shall receive indeed.

“Destiny?” She didn’t want to bombard the girl with questions and tempt her to run, she knew better than that after years of dealing with Angel. Sometimes you just needed to wait and let them come to you.

“I had a few questions.” She could do that, hell she could talk all night long if that’s what needed to happen. And if all that talking meant that Destiny would still be here when Angel returned, well the more the merrier.

Lilah stood out front of the Hyperion, well hidden in the shadows and waited. She knew this was where the boy was headed and Destiny was already inside. It looks like the final showdown would be happening on daddy’s home turf. Then when the senior partners were sure which of the two was the strongest, they would make their move. This time there would be nothing Angel could do to stop it, for once he was relegated to the sidelines with the rest of them. Let the games begin.


	9. Life and Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Destiny fights with her brother again, but this time someone is playing for keeps...

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%209.jpg.html)

  
  


Destiny didn’t know if she was waiting for Angel or if she just really needed to talk to someone like Cordelia, someone without any hidden agendas, but she ended up staying in the Hyperions lobby for over an hour simply talking to the woman. She learned a bit more about the confusing world around her, but mostly she learned that even the people that were born and raised here seemed to find the place just as confusing as she did on occasion. She didn’t know if that little nugget of knowledge should comfort her or scare her, but for the moment she was going with comfort.

She could tell that Cordelia wanted to keep her there long enough for the others to return from whatever mission they’d been sent out on, but she was just so tired after everything that happened that day all she wanted to do was find somewhere to crash and try to forget all about her life and her past for a few hours. Going back to Lawson’s was an option, but even after the olive branch of the bite house it was probably best if she gave him his space to clear his head about Angelus without his daughter hogging the blankets.

She had said her goodbyes and made her way towards the door, trying to remember how to get to that broken-down hotel she found Steven at their first day here, when the door suddenly burst open knocking her back a few feet to skid across the lobby floor. _What the hell_!?

Steven stood in the doorway his face filled with murderous rage and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he was there to kill her. She spared a thought to wonder why, but knew that in the end the why behind your own demise didn’t matter much when you were in the thick of it. Her brother had decided her life should end, and she wasn’t quite ready to admit defeat yet. That was all that mattered.

She saw Cordelia moving out of the corner of her eye, trying to place herself between them, like they were normal siblings just having a tiff over something that would blow over with a little time and space. She was so caught up in her own memories of the two of them as infants she couldn’t see the deadly force that was behind Stevens blows. If the human woman took even one hit it would break bone or worse, she couldn’t let that happen. The people of this world could preach until they’re blue in the face about how Angelus has been on the road to redemption for ages now, but anyone with eyes could see that it was Cordelia that helped him to move forward day after day. She was his guiding light and losing her would make him fall back into the darkness – something she would not allow. Not as long as she still had a say in it all.

“Cordelia stay back! Steven you couldn’t kill me before do you really think you can now?” With her dearest brother, it was always best to get him talking during their fights. Not only would he usually distract himself with his own anger, but he would normally purge whatever he was feeling as the fight went on ending it all more with his words than his fists.

“You killed our father!” She could see Cordelia reacting to those words thinking he meant Angelus, she so badly wanted to reassure the woman, but she needed to keep her wits about her now if she wanted to end this fight without either of them truly becoming injured. She could put an end to this easily, they both knew she was fast enough and strong enough, but that would mean nearly crippling her brother in a world where he had no true allies that he trusted to care for him while his body mended. That she would not do if she could avoid it.

“Whatever has befallen Holtz was not at my hand brother. I have not seen the man in days!” She knew he was too far gone to hear her, but Cordelia wasn’t and the woman deserved to understand at least a little of what was happening around her.

“Liar!”

His limited patience already coming to an end her brother threw himself at her in earnest and their fight truly began.

Lawson didn’t understand why he went after her, why he always seemed to run after her, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to rest that day if he didn’t make sure she was safe somewhere secure. He knew she wouldn’t stay at the Hotel that Angelus owned, she didn’t trust him at her back while she slept yet, but he also knew that for some reason that place seemed to be her center point. Whenever something went wrong, or she needed to understand something she would begin with Angelus and his people and move on from there. 

With her world upside down this is where she would be, he was sure of it, and as he pushed the doors open he found her just where he knew he would, if not in the situation he hoped she’d be in. 

She and her brother were fighting again and if he thought their last fight was a sight to behold this one was so much more. He couldn’t seem to land a hit, no matter what he tried she simply side stepped him and moved just a little bit faster than he could, his lack of success making his punches more and more wild. He was running on pure rage and it was plain to see, there were even tears in his eyes. On the flip side, she just seemed exasperated, like they’d done this so many times before she already knew the outcome and was only surprised that he continued to try. She would win. End of.

When he pulled out the stake her expression only changed from frustrated to annoyed. She was still fighting like a sibling, with that unfailing belief that the other would never really hurt them. At least not on purpose. He was having no such thoughts, it was clear he meant business. He wasn’t worried for her, she was clearly the better fighter, even with the handicap of familial love pulling her every punch. Then the door slammed open as Angelus and his crew rushed in to investigate the sounds of the fight, most likely worried for their friend that they left behind, the distraction was small but enough. Destiny looked over to make sure there wasn’t another threat coming in while the human girl was unprotected, but her brother simply saw his opening and took it without pause.

He watched the stake arcing down with force until it found its mark, buried deep in the chest cavity until it pierced the heart. His heart.

If he was being honest with himself he hadn’t even remembered moving, let alone making the decision to intervene, yet here he was. It always seemed so instantaneous when he watched others fall in a fight. One minute they were there and the next they were blowing in the wind. Now though it all moved so slowly, he could feel himself beginning to shake apart around the stake penetrating his heart. His eyes never left hers, the shock, pain, and fear there was both gratifying and heart breaking in and of its self. In his last days, he found someone who would truly miss him when he was gone, and now he was leaving her behind before he ever got to tell her exactly what she meant to him. What her kindness and acceptance had given him.

Hoping she knew, that she could see it in his eyes, feel it in his final gesture he allowed the darkness to take him. 

Destiny watched Lawson disintegrate and felt something snap inside of her. Steven looked so smug, like they were even somehow. Not even close brother, not even close. No more holding back, if he wanted a fight she would give him one.

Pulling her fist back she finally hit him in his arrogant face with every ounce of her strength, holding nothing back in her fury. As she watched his body fly across the room, crashing into the wall with enough force to make the room seem to shake, she felt just that much better. Leaping onto his prone form she rained down blow after blow, only pausing long enough to throw the others off when they tried to stop her. 

Steven killed him. He took him away, and for what. For nothing. He hadn’t done anything to deserve that. She hadn’t done anything to deserve that. It just – it wasn’t fair! Looking down at Steven’s broken and battered body she hoped he felt at least a fraction of the pain she did. Backing away she ran off into the night, leaving the others to try and piece her brother back together again. He could have them, she didn’t need them, she didn’t need anyone.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where does this leave us now?

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%2010.jpg.html)

  
  


Cordelia ached for Angel, he was trapped between his children who both needed him. Connor was hurt physically, he would need weeks maybe even months of care even with his enhanced healing before he was back to being able to look after himself. While he obviously knew he needed them he still didn’t seem to trust them and wouldn’t let Angel touch him even to help. He spat the name Angelus at him and glared at the others with open hostility whenever they would do something Angel told them to do for him. Destiny on the other hand was most definitely in emotional pain, her first crush, her guy was killed by her brother and now all the people that had once had her back had to take his side until he was well enough to move on his own. She must be feeling so abandoned by them all, and there was nothing to be done about it. They would take it one day at a time until they found a way through the new mess they found themselves in, but if she ever found out who had told Connor that Destiny had been the one to attack Holtz they wouldn’t have to worry about Angel _she_ would mount their head on the wall.

Destiny laid on Lawson’s bed, it was still his bed even though he would never use it again, and stared at the wall to her left. There would be a good place to start. She would begin at the top and work her way down until she knew the meaning and significance behind each and every thing he’d hung up to look at as he passed his days here. Every piece had a meaning, a story, it was a part of who he was and she would know each and every one before she moved on. Only then would she be free to let go and continue with her endless existence. 

Giles got off the phone and immediately removed his glasses for cleaning, they didn’t really need it but to be honest ever since he moved to Sunnydale they rarely did anymore. Looking over towards his Slayer who was still not a hundred percent after her recent… return, he wondered if this little assignment from the Council would help her or damage her all the more. While it was true that Buffy no longer worked for Travers and his ilk, and hadn’t for some time now, the news coming from Los Angeles trumped all past indiscretions and loyalties. If it was true that two vampires had procreated, then it would be all hands on deck as it were. It would appear that they would be taking a trip.

Faith couldn’t believe what her lawyer was yammering on about, the Council was pulling strings to spring her. She had half a mind to tell them to take their pardon, all wrapped up in its attached strings, and shove it up their collective asses. Then they told her why she was being sprung and she knew that Angel would probably need her in this fight, if the rumors were true. Out of everyone in her former life he was the only one that took the time to come visit her on the regular, not just to preach either, he came by just to talk. To keep her up to date on the happenings in the shadows of the world, and the unexpected rays of light that would sometimes work their way through. She owed him more than she could ever repay, but she could start now by having his back. If those kids really did exist, no one would be laying a hand on them, evil or not without the big broody ones say so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end of the first story in the series. Hope you liked it and I hope you'll like what I have planned next. As you can see just from this little glimpse it's all about to hit the fan.


End file.
